My brief Ramadan experience

Last weekend I broke my own preconceived notions of Ramadan by trying it out myself for two days. Ramadan is a month of fasting in the religion of Islam, which Muslims around the world observe if they are healthy and able to do so.

Doing it in my case was purely a supportive gesture and was not for religious reasons. In saying that, I did learn a lot about why the tradition is carried out, what it means to Muslim people, and I gained a lot of respect for people who observe Ramadan for the month which finished on Tuesday.

Ramadan is celebrated on the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar when the Angel Gabriel commenced revelations of the Quran (Islam’s religious book) to the prophet Muhammad. This year, the month of fasting began on the evening of March 10.

Fasting consists of not consuming any food or liquids and abstaining from any desires during daylight hours. The pre-dawn meal is known as Suhoor and the evening meal is called Iftar. Both meals take place before and after daylight hours, the time for each changes slightly each day.

All Muslims who are healthy observe Ramadan. Children who have not reached puberty, the elderly, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, those who are traveling or people who are mentally or physically incapable are exempt from participating. The month helps people to improve their relationships with God, with their family and communities. The month moves back 10-12 days every year, so next year it will begin on the evening of February 28.

I am writing my experiences as a non-Muslim person who wanted to support somebody observing Ramadan. I did it for two days and the first thing it taught me is that I am capable of doing anything if my will is strong enough. Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a foodie. I adore cooking nearly as much as I love eating and trying new food. Participating in Ramdan in Brussels, with the aroma of waffles and coffee wafting, I really did think I would struggle.

When doing Ramadan, people are strengthening their faith and challenging themselves; they want to do it and are proud. This is one big mistake in my thinking. I always felt sympathetic towards people who were fasting. I thought they were forced, when actually this isn’t the case at all. In general, Muslims try to refrain from complaining about fasting (this includes trying to curb all negative thoughts and emotions, gossiping, swearing, etc) during the month of Ramadan. Surprisingly, I didn’t complain and I realised I actually can do without a lot of things I thought were essential to get me through the day. The notion of needing a strong black coffee in the morning is just that- a notion. In ways like this, I enjoyed the challenge my brief experience of Ramadan provided. I won't deny, I was hungry during the day, but thirst was the most challenging aspect for me. The first day, my Suhoor meal (pre-dawn breakfast) was loaded with salt, a mistake I paid for and learned from. The highlight of that Iftar meal was definitely water.

The two days consisted mostly of traveling around Belgium, walking, talking and taking it easy. In an office or university setting I think it would be more challenging.

Although Ramadan is finished now with Eid-al-fitr underway (the festival of breaking the fast). I did learn some helpful ways to support somebody who is observing Ramadan, for example not scheduling lunch or drinks during fasting hours but suggesting other activities instead, bringing them food for when they break their fast or sharing this meal with them if they are comfortable. I also learned to not assume how a person’s fast is going. The best thing you can do is ask if there is anything that can be done to support. Now, you can wish people ‘Eid Mubarak’ - a blessed end of fasting.

One of the purposes of Ramadan is to make you grateful for what you have and to give time to reflect on this. There is a big emphasis on donating to charity or volunteering during Ramadan, which I think is beautiful. My brief experience of Ramadan showed me the beauty of taking life back to the basics and being grateful for what you have. The highlight of each day was drinking water and sharing food with family and friends. You can be certain that I have never before said that highlight of my day was drinking water, which in itself says a lot about the practice of Ramadan.